Synthetic cannabis (also known as ‘dirt weed’) is a term used in the context of illegal psychoactive substances, referring to cannabis soaked in synthetic psychoactive substances, such as synthetic cannabinoids or opioids. These are added to enhance psychoactive effects, making synthetic cannabis extremely dangerous. Users are often unaware of what substances are in the herb, which can lead to unpredictable and dangerous health effects.
What will you learn from this article?
👉 What is synthetic cannabis?
👉 How to identify synthetic cannabis?
👉 What are the effects and side effects of synthetic cannabis?
Table of contents:
Synthetic cannabis – what is it? ⚗️
Unlike natural cannabis or hash, synthetic cannabis is an artificial substance, not a natural one. This usually means much stronger effects and typically completely different psychoactive effects than with cannabis.
Synthetic cannabis is an illegal substance that looks like dried cannabis herbs or simply ground plants or whole flowers (it takes various forms). These substances aim to mimic the effects of THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis but are much stronger and more dangerous.
Synthetic cannabis is like gambling in the black market drug trade – you never know what you’ll get, but you’re guaranteed that your health will be the loser.
VapoManiak – professional vaporiser reviewer
A characteristic feature of such products is that they most often exist in a “grey area”. Some of them are even completely legal. Synthetic cannabinoids were available under various names, like K2, Spice etc. Currently, they are completely illegal – nevertheless, new substances keep appearing that aren’t necessarily restricted right away. Therefore, one must be very careful when it comes to products of questionable origin.
Vaporising or smoking synthetic cannabis can lead to powerful psychoactive effects, such as hallucinations, loss of behavioural control, and aggression. Most often, the effects will be unpredictable due to a lack of information about what is in the consumed substance.
Synthetic cannabis – how to identify it? 🥦
Synthetic cannabis looks very similar to dried cannabis or hash but may have a slightly different colour or smell. However, the best way to identify synthetic cannabis is simply to conduct a test that detects synthetic cannabinoids.
Natural medical cannabis has a strictly controlled composition and shouldn’t cause strong side effects. If the herb seems much stronger than usual or causes unusual symptoms, there’s a high probability it’s mixed with dangerous synthetic cannabinoids.
People who have encountered synthetic cannabis emphasise primarily that its effects are highly non-standard and extremely strong, as well as usually very short-lasting.
You can independently purchase special tests detecting synthetic cannabinoids. They are available online and even in brick-and-mortar cannabis-related shops. With such a test, we can be certain about the herb we possess.
Synthetic cannabis – side effects 😵💫
Using synthetic cannabis can lead to many dangerous side effects, such as heart palpitations, sudden blood pressure spikes, hallucinations, loss of behavioural control, and aggression. In extreme cases, people under the influence of synthetic cannabinoids may exhibit “superhuman” strength and pain tolerance – a sign that the herb also contained so-called stimulants.
Synthetic cannabis can cause much stronger side effects than natural herbs. Therefore, its use is particularly dangerous. Additionally, the effects will never be predictable.
What are the most common side effects after using synthetic cannabis?
- Psychosis;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Breathing problems;
- Irregular heartbeat;
- Fainting and weakness.
Long-term use of synthetic cannabis can also lead to addiction, usually much faster and more effectively than with natural cannabis. The unpredictable composition of synthetic cannabinoids and their uneven coverage of the herb also create a risk of overdose. Such a situation can have serious health consequences.
Synthetic cannabis – summary 💨
It’s important to remember that synthetic cannabis has little in common with natural cannabinoids. If substances were obtained on the black market, we cannot expect any regulations and standards – especially in the case of designer drugs. Synthetic cannabis is a genuinely dangerous substance. It can cause very severe side effects, including long-term ones.
Unlike natural medical cannabis, synthetic cannabis should be treated as an unpredictable drug. Unfortunately, it’s quite often sold as classic cannabis – only intuition and some luck can protect against this.
Identifying such a product can often be difficult, which is why the best choice for users’ safety is to reach for legal and safe alternatives, such as medical cannabis or CBD.
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